The Simple Woman's Daybook #77

Outside my window...the sun is sparkling on the snow.

I am thinking...that 11 is my new bedtime.

 
I am thankful for... a hard working husband.

 
I am wearing...black yoga pants and a yellow top(OH MY GOODNESS!!! I need to find something new to wear next Monday!!!).

 
I am remembering...snorkeling in the Cayman Islands. Doesn't that sound amazing right now?

I am creating...this week's menu

I am going... to kick routine back into gear tomorrow.

I am reading...Prince Caspian.

 
I am hoping... that the new-to-us washing machine works well.

 
On my mind... a massive headache.

From the learning rooms... ancient Greece, space, editing and 4 facts.

Noticing that... my husband is pretty excited about his job.

 
From the kitchen... Crock pot stroganoff might make the list.

Around the house...I am soon going to wash 517 loads of laundry.

One of my favorite things... snuggling and watching movies with my kids.

 
Praying for... Abundance.

A verse to share..."Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess." Deuteronomy 5:33

A few plans for this week... hair cut (I hope), babysitting, school, and a photo shoot.

Weekly Wrap-UP: Working Through Sickness

  

This week was challenging but not for the reasons I expected. Babysitting full time didn't prove to be too much of a challenge to our homeschooling schedule(though we're only one week into it, so the verdict is still out). We actually got our school day started earlier than usual a couple times because I didn't have to just be awake and moving. I had to be completely dressed and groomed and ready to enjoy a budding toddler by 8:15 each morning. I know that isn't super early, but I'm a pajamas-til-I finish-my-morning-tea-leisurely kind of gal. Mornings are generally not my thing, so this takes effort on my part. I'm still sipping my tea when Baby Z arrives each day. It's a good thing my kids enjoy doting upon her first thing in the morning (and all day too).

Babysitting went well. Baby Z is a sweetheart. I couldn't believe how easy it was to continue with our homeschooling schedule with a little one in the house. I expected resistance from my children, and, admittedly, they were distracted by her coos and giggles, but it seemed natural to include her in our day. That might be a topic I'll have to explore in a post not dedicated to my weekly wrap-up. The kids love having her in our home. They helped more than I could ever have imagined they would, and, as it turns out, I ended up needing a lot of help mid-week!

Unfortunately, what babysitting didn't do to our week, sickness did. I awoke on Wednesday around 5:30 (You know it's never good when that happens on accident) feeling like I was having a lactose reaction. I can't tell you how much I wish that it was that, but it wasn't. It was a full-blown stomach bug.  Since I believed it was lactose, I kept Baby Z anyway only to discover during her afternoon nap that I was definitely, completely and totally ill. Wednesday's schooling consisted of independent work and absolutely no direct instruction. Thursday was better, but it still wasn't 100%. Today, we were back in full-swing, though I'm still not feeling full-strength yet. 

We even had a music appreciation lesson (We're learning about Bach currently) and an art lesson today, and art often goes out the door on weeks such as this one. Do you know of Artistic Pursuits? I discovered it a couple years ago, and I truly love it. I've used it intermittently, and I wish I had used it consistently.I love that it so easily combines art appreciation with actual, hands-on projects that use a variety of artistic media. The kids very much enjoy it, and it's a great fit for our family. Today, the kids did watercolor crayon pictures of experiences they had. I haven't snapped photos of them yet, or I would post them for you to see.

On this Friday night, I am tired. Between having an infant in the house all week, having a stomach bug, Eric working two jobs, making sure I workout daily and managing our household, I'm ready for some rest. Sunday is on the way!

For more Weekly Wrap posts that are packed with great ideas, head on over to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

True Treasures

Like all women, I sometime need to laugh. Other times I need a good cry or a nugget of encouragement. I often simply need to know that someone out there has experienced the same thing I am facing or that I'm not the only one who doesn't feel like she's the perfect homeschooling mom or a wife who often struggles with being the kind of helpmate her husband deserves for her to be.

I never imagined I could find something that could meet all of those needs within one simple volume that I could peruse and enjoy at my leisure, that is inexpensive and doesn't involve packing and going away to a convention, but I did. True Treasures, 10 Years of TEACH Magazine, is exactly what the title describes, a treasure trove of articles written by moms just like you and me who have been there and done that. The wisdom and laughter awaiting you in this precious gem is invaluable.

If you are a wife, homemaker, or homeschooling mom, I don't know how you couldn't enjoy reading these articles. There is so much Godly information gathered into this volume that I couldn't absorb it all at once. After devouring an article or two,  I was compelled to spend time in prayer; or I was crying or had so much to think about that I needed to pause for a few moments before continuing to another article. And laughter? Oh yes, you'll find lots of giggling in these pages too. Where there are parenting articles, there will be smiles and laughter!

The very first article, "His Wheel = His Will" by Lorrie Flem, reminded me that God uses adversity to shape us. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know how timely that article was for me! God knew I needed that article. During another quiet moment, I sat to read "It's Raining, It's Pouring." also written by Lorrie Flem. My 7 year old walked into the room as I finished and asked why I was crying. I never put True Treasures down without feeling genuine encouragement. Don't we all need that? 

There are also snippets that include invaluable tools that we can all use like "Bible Verses to Pray for Your Children" and "Yippee! It's STILL Free!" If you have thought about it or allowed yourself to fret about it, you're likely to find an encouraging point-of-view in True Treasures. I love this book!

True Treasures is a compilation of the best of what TEACH magazine has had to offer its readers over the course of the past decade. It is 104 pages long divided into six chapters:

1. Jewels that Make the Heart Sparkle
2. Marriages of Solid Gold
3. Parenting Pearls: Practical and Priceless
4. Homemaking That Dazzles Like Diamonds
5. Homeschooling Nuggets of Wisdom
6. Godly Living That Glitters

If you're facing a parenting challenging, you'll likely find something in here that will help. Is your marriage struggling? These articles are filled with action-packed advice that will help you to love your husband in a way that will move your marriage in the right direction. Are your children not shining the way you would like? Find encouragement here. 

If you aren't familiar with TEACH,which has recently changed its name to Eternal Encouragement, head over to www.HomemakingWithTEACH.com and see what they have to offer.  Get a copy of True Treasures. You'll be blessed by this site. I promise! You can also see more reviews of this incredible True Treasure on the website dedicated to The Gabby Moms, the newly formed group of homeschooling moms of which I am a part.

The bottom line? If you want to be challenged, encouraged, blessed, filled with laughter and wisdom from the Lord, True Treasures is for you. I can't say enough great things about it (obviously). If you snag a copy, let me know what you think! I am certain you're going to love it!

When you head to Eternal Encouragement site purchase your copy of True Treasures, be sure to use the coupon code "GabbyMom" for $4 off your purchase good through May 31st, 2011! That sweetens this deal quite nicely, doesn't it?

Disclaimer: I received this product for honest review from TEACH Magazine as part of The Gabby Moms blogging program. All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

The Simple Woman's Daybook #77

Outside my window...teeny-tiny snowflakes are falling.

I am thinking...that I could love this.

 
I am thankful for... time.

 
I am wearing...black yoga pants and a yellow top(could it be that I'm wearing the same thing I wore last Monday???).

 
I am remembering... the joy of having babies in the house.

I am creating...another new routine (or somewhat of a routine).

I am going... to triumph. God promised.

I am reading... True Treasures, 10 Years of Teach Magazine.

 
I am hoping... for one more child (to babysit) to be part of our days soon.

 
On my mind... my Mom's recent cancer diagnosis (I hate writing that).

From the learning rooms...  Bach, watercolor crayons, quotation marks, correct letter formation and focusing on focusing while there is a baby in the house (and, yes, I meant to write it that way).

Noticing that... my children love babies.

 
From the kitchen... chicken with broccoli rice au gratin.

Around the house...Baby things are strewn about. Toys. Exersaucer. Diaper bags. High chair. I love these things.

One of my favorite things... throwing parties for my children.

 
Praying for... a miracle.

A verse to share..."Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom." Isaiah 40:28

A lyric or two...This video is beautiful and so moving.


I will rise when He calls my name.
No more sorrow, no more pain.
I will rise on eagle's wings,
Before my God, fall on my knees,
And rise! I will rise!

A picture thought...

A few plans for this week...Babysitting, dance, piano, church and an Aflac formal banquet.

Turning 7

Turning 7 is a very big deal. Just ask our new 7 year old. Our sweet Ava asked each day last week if she could start saying she was 7. Each day I replied with, "Nope. You're not 7." 

On Thursday night, I tucked her into bed at 9. At 10:30, I peaked into her room and two big blue eyes were looking back at me. When I asked why she was awake, she told me she was trying to stay awake until she turned 7. I snuggled into her bed with her and talked to her for a few minutes before leaving her to fall asleep, which she finally managed to do around 11.

Greeting Ava on Friday morning was a note telling her that we weren't having school.  We spent our day getting ready for Ava's first slumber party. This little girl could not have been more excited about a birthday party!

Around 5:30, little girls began to show up. We had four little girls spend the night as well as one little boy (Lukas needed someone to protect him from all those girls). We ate homemade pizza, opened girly gifts, ate cake and ice cream, watched countless spontaneous fashion shows, painted nails, applied make-up and did lots and lots of hair-styles. The girls ended the night snuggled into their sleeping bags watching Alice in Wonderland.  The first girl nodded off around 11:30 and the last two nodded off around 2. They were all awake around 7:15, which means that we were all pretty tired on Saturday.  It was, of course, more than worth it.

I kept this party extremely simple. I spent practically nothing. Ava had a blast. Her friends had a blast. Ava's grandparents had fun watching the little girls. Even the boys had fun. Eric and I were blessed because we were able to bless Ava in this way. It was perfect. Just perfect.

7 seems so big to me. Ava thinks it is. She thinks she's taller. She measured herself standing next to me on Thursday and again on Friday. She may not have grown in those two days, but she grew and learned so much in the past year. She spends her days playing with dolls and Barbies and art supplies, creating endless pictures, cards and artistic creations. She cooks with me and even has her own little knife so she can help prepare veggies. She has made great strides in learning when to speak and when to listen. She has grown...which is good, but she's still so little. 7 isn't so big is it? It feels like it. I think I'll enjoy 7...every single moment of it.

Weekly Wrap-Up: 2 Days Late

  

 

It was a busy week for the McFamily. Throwing my daughter's first slumber party preparations into the plans for the week added to our normal schedule. 

I realized a couple things throughout the course of the week.

1. I suspect that school is going better lately because my husband (God bless him) is working full time again. He's wonderfully helpful, but my children are easily distracted when Dad is home.

2. I am so much more tired than usual because I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do again (i.e. Because my husband is working full time again, so he's not doing random tasks to keep himself busy, which means I have to do them all again.

3. I don't think I fully appreciated the help my husband gave me during his 15 months of being home so much. Getting ready for our daughter's birthday party without his undivided help took a lot more effort on my part (I'm not whining about this. I'm just stating a fact).

Other than those realizations, school was mostly problem-free this week. We read Daniel's Duck for Five in a Row. If you're studying American History (we actually aren't), or, if you're from Tennessee and you're studying Tennessee history, grab a copy of this book. It's a lovely historical story that provides many lessons as well as an opportunity to discuss the power of a sibling's words to effect their sister or brother for good or bad.

I started setting a time limit this week for Ava's reading lesson. Prior to this week, I had been setting a limit on how many pages we would read each day, but there often comes a moment in the reading lesson where Ava has checked-out of the lesson, which means those last 2 or 3 pages might take 10 minutes to read(10 VERY, VERY long minutes). Something had to change.

A friend told me she was using a timer for all subjects to keep herself on task and so that her kids new that there was an end in sight. If they don't enjoy a certain subject, they know they only have to tune into that subject for a specific amount of time. Even if she doesn't get as far as she wants to, that subject is done for the day when the timer goes off. I wish I had listened to Sarah's wise words 5 months ago when she first shared them because it has made all the difference in our daily reading lesson. I noticed that Ava often checks out after 15 minutes, so I set our reading time at 20 minutes to stretch her limits a little. It's working like a charm, and it only bugs me a little that we are consistently stopping 2-3 pages before the end of the story each day.

I've been looking for fun ways to incorporate simple copywork into Ava's curriculum. Lukas can obviously handle larger portions of copywork, and I didn't do very much copywork with him when he was in 1st grade (getting him to write anything was a chore at that age). I'm trying to give Ava something to copy 2-3 days each week. I use these great, brief journal prompts from Brightly Beaming Resources. She draws a picture and then copies the sentence from the white board. We also did an acrostic poem on the white board this past week. We used the word "winter." Both kids helped to create it and copied it.

Speaking of white boards, we don't have an official wall mounted white board. Last August, I accidentally stumbled upon my new favorite homeschooling supply. It's a poster with a pretty border around the edge that comes with sticky tape on the back so you can mount it on the wall and use it as a white board. It is perfect for small spaces!

Stop back next week to find out how this week goes with a 10 month old in the house. It should be an exciting and fun-filled week!

GO HERE to discover more great ideas by reading other weekly wrap ups!

The Simple Woman's Daybook #76

Outside my window...there is glorious sunshine and blue sky!.

I am thinking...that some relationships are not the way we perceive them, and they will never be quite the way we desire no matter how hard we try.

 
I am thankful for... opportunities to spend time with Eric and the kids.

 
I am wearing...black yoga pants and a yellow top.

 
I am remembering... poverty and abundance.

I am creating...hair bows.

I am going... to keep pressing on to the end of this race.

I am reading... True Treasures, 10 Years of Teach Magazine (Review coming next week!).

 
I am hoping... to not have last night's very vivid dream EVER again.

 
On my mind... family relationships.

From the learning rooms...  colored pencil and charcoal drawings. Daniel's Duck, 6 facts (division), Passover and the Exodus.

Noticing that... some things aren't meant to be no matter how hard you try or how much you want it in your heart. Sometimes it takes two to make something work.

 
From the kitchen... tuna noodle casserole.

Around the house...I see Fancy Nancy, Kit Kittridge, Kimberly (who used to be mine), a teddy bear and lots of doll clothes spread about the living room on Ava's comforter.

One of my favorite things... celebrating birthdays.

 
Praying for... my mom's oncologist appointment this Friday (please pray with us, friends), family relationships and provision.

A verse to share... "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul." I Peter 2:11

 

A lyric or two...

I’m not the clothes I’m wearing
I’m not a photograph
I’m not the car I drive

I’m not the money I make
I’m not the things I lack
I’m not the songs that I write

I am … who I am
I am who I am

There are true things inside of me
I have been afraid to see
I believe, help my unbelief
Would you say again what you said to me
I am loved and I am free
I believe, help my unbelief

I’m not the house I live in
I’m not the man I love
I’m not the mistakes that I carry

I’m not the food that I don’t eat
I’m not what I’m above
I’m not my scars and my history

There are true things inside of me
I have been afraid to see
I believe, help my unbelief
Would you say again what you said to me
I am loved and I am free
I believe, help my unbelief

To your love I’m waking up
In your love I’m waking up

 

A picture thought...

Cousins

A few plans for this week... This is a pretty normal week that ends in a 7th birthday celebration for our girly girl!

Weekly Wrap-Up: A Bird's Eye View

 
This week is what I would love to call an average week, but it was more like an above average week because we just never got into a good groove during the fall months of schooling. Have you had seasons where it felt like you were just plowing through what had to be accomplished? Fall was like that for us. We are in a groove right now, and I am loving it. The new routine is going well, and the kids are asking if we can do school this way all the time because they're loving it so much.

This routine breaks every rule I learned in all those education classes I took in college, but it's working. Isn't that what matters? I'm telling you this to say that doing things differently could be a good thing for you too. Isn't that why we homeschool? We're doing music appreciation and art before the bulk of our academics  followed by writing. Crazy, huh? If, like me, you once called yourself a professional teacher, it sounds like it, but my kids are thriving with this.  I know I mentioned this in last week's wrap-up, but now that we're two weeks into it, I couldn't help but report to you how well it is going.

Five in a Row, which was seriously neglected during the fall months, has been a blast this week. I'm ashamed to say how few books we have enjoyed together from this great resource this year, but we're on a mission to plow through one each week for the rest of this school year as I initially planned for the entire school year. It is one of the most enjoyable curriculum resources our family has ever discovered.  I wish I had understood what a great treasure this curriculum is when Lukas was younger. It is ideal for Ava, and our time spent reading and learning through Five in a Row is her favorite time of the day (and Lukas loves it too). This week, we read Climbing Kansas Mountains. Even if you aren't using Five in a Row, it is a delightful children's story. Check it out. Your young ones will love it!

We took a break over the holidays from reading the Narnia books. This week, we got back to it. We aren't reading through these as quickly as we normally would because our fall schedule ended up being more hectic than I hoped. We're almost finished with A Horse and His Boy. I don't want to give anything away, but we read one of my absolute favorite passages of the book tonight before the kids headed to bed. If you haven't read these books, do read them! I waited until this year to make sure both my kids were at a good age for them thinking that Ava might not really be ready, but I couldn't wait any longer to share them with Lukas. She is loving them just as much as Lukas. And me? I am absolutely loving sharing these books with my kids!

I filled our bird feeder this week. I've had a partial bag of seed in the shed for months, but I never got around to filling the feeder. This is such a simple thing that brings joy and learning to our household. My children love watching the birds and identifying them. Some of our favorites are purple finches, cardinals and blue jays. Today, Ava spontaneously pulled her nature journal off the shelf and drew a pair of cardinals which she had seen on the feeder, and she carefully colored them with art pencils so that they looked like a male and female cardinal. Isn't that what we want to inspire in our kids? 

I love my life and my time with my kids learning about our world together.  Who has a better job than this?


Looking for some great ideas? Find more WEEKLY WRAP-UP POSTS HERE.

Sh!ft

My kids are so enthralled with the ministries in which they are involved at church. When it was time for Ava to move from the Church Mouse Praise House(pre-school) to Kids Matter(K-4), she cried. She loved the Praise House. Lukas is already talking about how much he loves Kids Matter and that he doesn't even care if he moves to Ignition(grades 5-6) next year (I'm sure he's going to change his mind about that once he sees how great it is). 

Tonight, the conversation randomly turned toward Sh!ft, our super awesome youth group. Ava's only experience with Sh!ft is her brief weekly walk through the activity center on her way to the play place (from what she tells me, but that explanation doesn't make sense if you know the location of each of those places).

Completely out-of-the-blue, Ava asked, "Do you have to go to Sh!ft, or can you skip it?"

"I guess you can skip it. Why would you want to skip Sh!ft?"

"It. Is. SO. Boring. ALL they do is SIT around and talk and listen to music. I am DEFINITELY skipping Sh!ft!"

Eric and I giggled under our breath as we imagined how much she is totally going to enjoy just sitting around and talking and listening to music in 6 or 7 years(I promise that is not all they do). How cool is it that she's so content right where she is and not trying to push ahead and grow up before her time? Ava seizes the moment. No one will ever need to tell this little one to seize the day.

Outside my window...we saw a blue jay this morning.

I am thinking...that sometimes the Lord blesses us when we take action.

 
I am thankful for... the joy brought to me through gentle school days.

 
I am wearing...purple and cream pajamas.

 
I am remembering... sledding in the river bottoms on snow days and coming inside for hot cocoa before going back outside to do more sledding in the river bottoms.

I am creating...birthday celebration plans.

I am going... to start babysitting a cute little toddler boy tomorrow.

I am reading... True Treasures, 10 Years of Teach Magazine.

 
I am hoping... that my shoulder pain goes away.

 
On my mind... my mama, still.

From the learning rooms...  Vivaldi, watercolors, skip counting, Moses and the plagues of Egypt, Climbing Kansas Mountains, and starting Days Gone By, a new reader, for Ava.

Noticing that... stress causes people to do and say things they normally would not.

 
From the kitchen... hamburger green bean casserole.

Around the house...the living room is back to normal.

One of my favorite things... watching Ava's facial expressions as she tells me something super exciting.

 
Praying for... ALL KINDS HEALING!!! My mom is seeing an oncologist this week, Eric has an ear infection that is not getting better after two rounds of antibiotics, and I have done something to my left shoulder that is causing me extreme pain(not much sleep in the house last night). Pray with me!

A verse to share...Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. Hosea 6:1

 

A lyric or two... 

All to Jesus, I surrender,

All to Him I freely give.

I will ever love and trust Him,

In His presence daily live.

I surrender all,

I surrender all,

All to Him, my blessed Savior,

I surrender all.

 

A picture thought...

Ava after rolling Christmas cookies.

 

A few plans for this week...toddler proofing the house, babysitting, grocery shopping, choir banquet, and a SNOW STORM!!!

Weekly Wrap-Up

 
I follow a fantastic blog written by another homeschooling mom called Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. My friend, Mindy, lead me to her last spring, and I've been reading her posts ever since. Each Friday, she writes a weekly wrap-up post, and I've decided to challenge myself to participate. I think it's a fantastic way to remember the ins and outs of our school year memories and to catch up on little things about which I didn't take the time to blog, and I can sign her Mister Linky and share it with other homeschoolers who are looking for new ideas. I can't promise that we'll do something phenomenal each week, but maybe it's okay to read about the basic, everyday schooling too. We can't always be doing something over-the-top creative, right? So here's my first Weekly Wrap-Up.

We had a four day week this week beginning on Tuesday after an eye appointment for me took away our Monday. Our week ended up being the best week of school we've had in ages (Dare I say the best week of the entire school year so far?). School going well was much needed in the midst of an excess of difficult life circumstances that seemed to come our way all at once.

We switched things up to start the new year. My children expressed in December that they were "sick" of studying Egypt. I agreed whole-heartedly. The thing about My Father's World is that it's well organized and full of fantastic project ideas, but for some reason, they really stretched the study of Ancient Egypt out a wee bit too much for our family. While I understand their reasoning behind this (We've read through Genesis and are now beginning Exodus), we're over it. Instead of skipping ahead to the next history unit, Eric gave me the fantastic idea of taking some time to not study history and taking time to do some of the other things for which we always seem to run out of time. Art lessons, music appreciation, in-depth Five in a Row for Ava and fun writing assignments. While my ultra-perfectionist, always follow the rules personality initially bulked at this idea, I decided that he was right. Then, when I was planning for the first two weeks of this month, I discovered that MFW had a similar plan. We're spending extra time on Bible study, so very little history study is planned (because, uh-hem, studying the Bible IS history). Still, no more Egypt for us. 

We spent time writing two journals and two short stories this week using Write Shop Storybuilders. Check them out. I can't guarantee anything, but I think your kids will love them. My kids were begging to do a Storybuilder this morning rather than a journal. I caved. We had a blast! See yesterday's post for what happened when their creative juices got flowing using Write Shop.

There are two perfect times to change our regular routine into a new regular routine, the start of the school year and the start of the new calendar year. Of course, we change things as we need to, but I felt the Lord leading me to a new routine this week, and we loved it. We began with devotions, as usual, followed by a brief music appreciation lesson after which we listened to the composer's music while completing the day's writing assignment. It's going super well, and it sets a gentle, calm tone for our school day. 

We began a simple study of Vivaldi this week.  I found this great series of books at our library by Roland Vernon all about different famous composers. I'm keeping it short and sweet by reading 2-4 pages per day from Introducing Vivaldi and then doing some listening, as I said. If you don't think you can teach music appreciation, you can. Anyone can include music appreciation in their homeschool. We take it a little further in our house when time and interest allow, but you don't have to. Keep it simple the way I have been this week!

Stop back next week to find out if our new routine is toddler-proof as I'll be starting to babysit one, possibly two toddlers next week. 

So what about you? Do you stick to your curriculum? How do you make it fit the needs of your family? How often do you re-evaluate your typical routine, or don't you have one?

Rapunzel and Golden Bunny Rabbits

This kids wrote short stories today using Write Shop's Storybuilders, which they absolutely love using. They're simple and quick story starters. Each child draws four cards with a character, character trait, scenario and setting that they have to include in their story, but then they can just go with it. My kids definitely went with it today! They love when I publish their stories on my blog. If you stop by, thanks for reading them!

Lukas's cards were: dog, picky, forest and turning rocks into golden bunny rabbits. Here's what he came up with.

Once there was a picky alien talking super hero dog from the planet Boys Rock! His name was Superdoogie. His best friend was Johnny X! Aka Doogie and Johnny Test. Anyway, their best power was turning rocks into golden bunny rabbits in It's a Boys World Forest. One day their enemy Super Doctor Evil Guy was about to turn the whole world into hamburgers when Superdoogie and Johnny X destroyed his hamburger ray! Then everything went back to normal The end.

Ava's cards were: hawk, ridiculous, closet, heard a noise in the dark. Note that Ava drew a very colorful picture and then dictated her story to me. She is great with copy work at this point, but her story was a lot longer because she dictated it and didn't have to worry about all that writing on top of her creative process. Otherwise, you would have gotten something like yesterday's journal entry, "I live in Columbus, Ohio," with a picture of our house and church. So here is today's creative writing story...

There once was a hawk. It lived in a dark closet that was pink and purple, and the purple was flowers. The hawk's name was Pretty Princess Rapunzel. She didn't know anything because her brain was too small. She was ridiculous! She couldn't fly, but she could only spread out her wings. Now that's ridiculous! She tried to hit a rabbit, but the rabbit was too far away. She tried to fly over to the rabbit to eat it because her legs were too fat to walk. She heard a squeaking mouse noise in the dark. She turned on the light with her beak. It was a mouse! She was scared because it was squeaking at her. She ate it! The end.

The Simple Woman's Daybook #75

Outside my window...squirrels bounce around the yard.

I am thinking...that the Lord has everything under control.

 
I am thankful for... the possibility of top-notch doctors right here in Columbus.

 
I am wearing...black yoga pants and a rust sweatshirt.

 
I am remembering... how blissful vacation feels.

I am creating...little prayer warriors.

I am going... to trust the Lord. What else can I do?

I am reading... The February issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray.

 
I am hoping... for healing for my mama.

 
On my mind... my mama.

From the learning rooms...  Vivaldi, oil pastels, science catch-up, math facts (addition for grade 1 and division for grade 4), and letter writing (so, Stacy, if you're reading this, post card writing will probably be covered as well).

Noticing that... my children have gigantic, loving hearts.

 
From the kitchen... potato cheese soup.

Around the house...it's time for the Christmas decor to go away.

One of my favorite things... sharing great music with my children and realizing they love it as much as I do.

 
Praying for... healing for my mama and wisdom for her doctors.

A verse to share...And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. Isaiah 32:17

 

A lyric or two... 

I never lost my hope.

I never lost my joy.

I never lost my faith,

But most of all,

I never lost my praise!

 

A picture thought...

My favorite 4 year old...my niece, Maia, trying to dodge the hair brush (and the camera).

 

A few plans for this week... school and ROUTINE, McEvoy Christmas gathering and Worship Jam for Lukas.

Simplicity in Review

How do you decide on a New Year's resolution? Or don't you make them? I've never been big on making resolutions at the start of the year. Maybe it's because I find that I need a fresh start more than once each year. I don't need a date looming months away on which I'll make a fresh start. It's easy to put things off when you know you can just wait and do that thing that will help you reach a goal or make you a better person or challenge you physically, mentally, or spiritually...later because that's what everyone else is doing. I know I'm over-analyzing this. I guess I am mostly speculating anyway. Resolutions have never seemed to be a great idea for me. Maybe they work for you. I'd love to hear about that!

The past two years, the Lord has given me more of a theme on which I could focus. Last year, I focused on simplicity. It takes effort to simplify your life. I don't know that I've reached the goal which the Lord truly wants me to achieve with this idea of simplicity, but I believe I made great strides in the past year. Over the summer, for example, we took a month and didn't have piano, dance or extra church activities. We spent extra time with each other and re-energized for the new school year. We simplified our calendar, and it ended up being the only way we could have made it through what the Lord knew we were going to face in our personal lives during that month.

We simplified our lives in one big way last spring. It was something about which we prayed for a couple years and finally decided that the Lord wanted us to give up our homeschooling co-op. I don't know if this is something that we'll always go without, but, for now, the Lord has allowed us this extra freedom in our schedule. It ended up being an absolute necessity this fall. There is no doubt in my mind that this was a God-lead decision even though we miss our weekly time with our co-op friends.

This fall, we simplified our lives by allowing the children to do fewer activities. We learned a couple years ago that fall sports don't really work in our schedule. Unfortunately, our church's Upward basketball schedule began in November, which meant that we had to put much thought and prayer into whether or not our kids would be permitted to participate. This was a challenging decision for us. We hemmed and hawed over it because we know our kids need to have activity in their lives. In the end, we opted to not participate in basketball season. Were the kids thrilled? Not at all. Would it have worked for us in November and December? Absolutely not. They would have missed most of their practices during those months if they made it any at all. As it was, Ava missed dance class twice in December because of scheduling conflicts.

I didn't understand why the Lord was leading me to focus on simplicity over the past year, but I have watched as He has walked me through a time of dark shadows in my life, a time when I couldn't manage my life as well as I used to. I'm still going through that, but what I have realized is that this idea of simplicity was designed to help me through what I face right now. Our family has made some great memories together, though most of those were made in our own home, as it should be. We have still gone on plenty of field trips, spent time with family and friends and participated in ministry together. Simplifying my schedule helped to make it possible for me to be there when my parents needed me when Dad's stroke temporarily took his vision. I've managed my anxiety better because of it. I said in my blog last year that I didn't know why the Lord gave this word to me, but now I have no doubt that it is exactly what He intended for me in the past year.

I will continue to remember simplicity. I believe it is good for us to remember simplicity in our lives. The Lord didn't intend for our schedules to be overcrowded and cluttered with non-essential activities. He didn't intend for us to go through the motions of certain commitments because everyone else expects it of us. He intended for us to keep things simple enough to focus on Him and His life giving breath. When we clutter our lives, we miss the still, small voice. I love that I hear Him. I love that when I obey His whisper, I am rewarded with the most amazing gifts. Without simplicity? I could miss that. I most likely would miss that. I would never want to fill my life with so many good things that I miss His best for me. I always want to be available to listen to and obey His gentle song.

Couldn't Say it Better Myself...

Go read this. I'm not even going to editorialize.

Jomama's Village 

I'm so thankful that God puts the right people in my path at just the right time. My friend, Stephanie, who was formerly known as my little sister's annoying side-kick back in the day (or maybe Cassie was her annoying side-kick), sent this link to me. It was exactly what I needed. I love that the Lord has brought us to a place of friendship as adults. She's not annoying anymore. She's a blessing.